Jerky tends to have a smokier flavor than biltong due to the way it’s cooked. Thus, biltong is sometimes described as tasting meatier and less smoky than jerky. When you make biltong, you don’t cook the meat like Jerky. Instead, you use the air to dry it. This means that biltong takes longer before it is ready to eat. Biltong is a simple but excellent food, made from dried beef flavoured with salt, herbs and spices. Throughout my 20+ year professional cooking career, I've used and developed many biltong recipes and this is my very special method to make my favourite cured meat. Enjoy! Jump to:

Custom-built box - Basically a fan and a heating source in a wooden box. Simply do it yourself or buy it online. Many tutorials exist, but it's just a computer fan and a light bulb attached to the inside of a wooden box. Simple and effective.

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I then turn the meat around and spray the other side too. This is an important step as coating the meat with vinegar stops mould forming. Roast Coriander Drying time takes 5 to 7 days, depending on the climate you are in. The airflow should be able to flow around the meat in the box, and no meat should be touching each other as this can cause mould. This made it perfect to be stored while they were travelling for long periods at a time. They preserved the meat in wooden barrels on their ox wagons. The most important thing to remember when choosing meat is the quality of the meat and fat marbling.

It contains vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12 which makes red blood cells and keeps your nervous system healthy. A fridge - Make sure it's spotlessly clean and not overcrowded with foods. Fridges are pretty efficient at drying out food that's left uncovered, and likewise with curing meat. Don't let the meat touch any other meat or the sides of the fridge. Every part of the meat should be able to breathe and dry. Closed balcony - Make sure the balcony is closed but well ventilated. Use a fan and heater if needed. Ensure that open windows have a fine mesh cover to avoid flies from getting in.

Some dry biltong in a dehydratorand some people use a DIY biltong dehydrator or "biltong box" as it's often called. Biltong curing consists of salting the meat and then giving it a dredge in a marinade or vinegar solution. There are some risks, though; although biltong is made in a controlled environment, it is not cooked, which means it could contain a bacteria called Listeria. The use of vinegar in the production of biltong also adds a distinctly acidic flavor that jerky doesn’t possess. While the Khoikhoi were finding ways to preserve meat, the Quechan Indians from the South American Native tribe, which was from the ancient Inca empire, were also preserving meat and called it charqui.